Building the Ultimate Block Set (TM)

So, a heroic Kel'thuzad attempt went horribly awry last week and we lost all tanks but me. I heroically picked up the ball and ran with it, grabbing all four of the Guardians of Icecrown, as well as Kel'thuzad himself, and tanked all five for the remaining 12% of the boss's health. I am now a changed man, and have come to the realization that (A) block value is awesome and (B) I must have as much of it as is humanly possible.

As an exercise in theory crafting (that I fully intend to put into practice), I've begun careful consideration toward putting together a set that offers the absolute highest possible block value while maintaining both immunity to critical strikes and block-cap (which I'm assuming for the time being to be approximately 104% to account for negligible losses to diminishing returns).

This is what I've come up with so far, but I'd like the community's input on alternative pieces that could ultimately prove more effective. Bear in mind, I am not aiming for (or even considering) stamina or avoidance. I will use a different, more rounded (or just min/maxed towards EH/avoidance) sets for things like hateful strike absorbing or tanking that hard-hitting bastard, Malygos.

Head: Valorous Redemption Faceguard (Argent Dawn glyph)
Neck: Medallion of the Disgraced
Shoulders: Burdened Shoulderplates (Hodir inscription; highest strength in-slot for a tanking piece and while it has no BV, it helps enormously toward block cap given this set's rather scarce amounts of avoidance)
Back: Shadow of the Ghoul (+16 Defense Rating)
Chest: Valorous Redemption Breastplate (10 stats)
Bracers: Bindings of the Hapless Prey (40 Stamina; too good to pass up)
Waist: Waistguard of the Tutor (Eternium Buckle)
Gloves: Gauntlets of the Disobedient (+15 Strength)
Legs: Valorous Redemption Legguards (with socket bonus their BV is higher than the Legplates of Inescapable Death)
Boots: Inexorable Sabatons (+22 Stamina)
Ring #1: Titanium Earthguard Ring (higher Strength than equivalents)
Ring #2: Sand-Worn Band (see above)
Trinket #1: Repelling Charge (I end up a little defense-light, so this becomes a necessity, plus it's nice to have something like Last Stand available as a Paladin)
Trinket #2: Darkmoon Card: Greatness (Strength; for the block value)
Shield: Wall of Terror (Titanium Plating)
Weapon: Slayer of the Lifeless (Potency)

Sockets:
Yellow x2: 8 Strength / 8 Defense x2
Blue x5: 8 Strength / 12 Stamina x5
Prismatic: 16 Strength
Meta: Defense/5% Block Value

What do you think? See any questionable choices or room for improvement?

http://www.chardev.org/?template=127787

had some time at work the idea is good, but if i calculate correct you are at 110.16 % , and this is way over Block cap. This will have any use any on large AoE trash packs, where you got yous HS eaten very fast. But nothing close to MT, with 46,45 % pure avoidance (without Miss DR), so its more like 45 % avoidance, and like 25k life unbuffed. Still i may concider building my own block set, when i have more time to spend ingame

Swapping to Last Laugh would get you another 4 block-value.

amh wrote:Swapping to Last Laugh would get you another 4 block-value.

I admit to making a few minor sacrifices for style; there's just something about finally having the Sword of Thousand Truths.

Regarding being so far over the block cap; I had no idea. I'm honestly not sure what I could swap out that would potentially increase my block value and EH in exchange for shaving off some more of that overage. Maybe different shoulders, something with lots of stamina and enough sockets and base strength to match the current ones?

Here's one block set I run around with sometimes.
http://www.chardev.org/?template=128063

Defense 539
Dodge 17.02
Parry 15.74
Block 26.91
Miss 5.56
BV 2092

If uncrit isn't an issue I'll swap out the def trinket for Lavanthor's.

It's fun, but not for everything, as my hp drop to 23k.

I've noticed a 10:1 trade off of hp to BV in my various iterations of gear.

(Of course, I'm gemming and enchanting for str on the pieces that aren't part of my normal "kit").

template updated, changd the weapon to Last Laugh. With the new weapon, you are at 110,29 - consider DR - arround 109 %, w/o any raid buffs

Here is a WoW Head comparison Link if you ant to see what the set looks like. Makes me realy hope T8 looks nice.

http://www.wowhead.com/?compare=40410:40579:39764:40402:40400:40707:40188:39298:40583:39717:42643:40107:39292:40581:39470:40334

For some reason the Helm would no show up for me but think most of us know what T7.5 looks like.

It's not epic, but the Unsmashable Heavy Band is the only ring in WoTLK with actual block value on it.

Sunwell T6.5 shoulders off twins

Hyjal Exalted Ring

There is also this ring from M'uru in Sunwell:

Ring of Hardened Resolve

Edit: Much thanks! I am trying to post a bit more, and my lack of knowledge about forums is showing

Read sticky ?:)
Click me

Thanks for the input, though I'm not quite crazy enough to start farming BC content just to add a few more block value to my ensemble.

Last week I got the boots, gauntlets, legs, chest, and helm, and re-gemmed my crafted tanking ring for strength/stamina. However, I am still working on getting both trinkets, the cloak, the shield, and the weapon.

This is just as well, since without the defense trinket, any change in my current set will push me below the defense cap. I actually have been forced to retain the badge ring in my second ring slot to account for my somewhat anemic defense rating.

So far I'm really liking the results I see. In heroics I am now topping the DPS meters against all but the best DPS-specced players (and even then, they need strong AOE) and while my health and avoidance have taken a hit, I block so much more damage now (to the tune of 2400 per hit with my libram buff up) that my overall survivability seems to be much higher.

I'll report back as I get more pieces and test the set out under more circumstances. I think short of off-tanking Patchwerk and main tanking the various dragons, this set will work for all Wrath of the Lich King content currently available.

Zakkarai wrote:I'll report back as I get more pieces and test the set out under more circumstances. I think short of off-tanking Patchwerk and main tanking the various dragons, this set will work for all Wrath of the Lich King content currently available.

I did an entire naxx in my bv set ... which includes T4 gloves. I swap in about half my BV set for tanking adds on OS, since I full block things.

In 12 weeks I haven't seen http://www.wowhead.com/?item=40188 . Last thing I want to pick up in current content.

Why do all of these have wall of terror for shields? If you are going BV, Skull of Ruin would net you a bit more BV. I have all 3 and wall of terror is reserved only for farming due to it's high BR, when BV is more important I use SoR exclusively.

Inia wrote:Why do all of these have wall of terror for shields? If you are going BV, Skull of Ruin would net you a bit more BV. I have all 3 and wall of terror is reserved only for farming due to it's high BR, when BV is more important I use SoR exclusively.

I've not seen SoRuin :[ Can barely be arsed to do N10 usually, but I'll have to start again to farm this shield.